Deephams Sewage Works Upgrade

Statement of Community Consultation (SOCC), July 2012

Both of these documents are part of the phase 1 public consultation and are available to download from our consultation website and as paper copies on request.

When we will consult:

We plan to consult the public on our proposals for the upgrade in two phases: Public consultation phase 1 4 July to 24 October 2012. Public consultation phase 2 Summer/Autumn 2013 (exact date to be set). We may also carry out further targetted consultation after these two phases of formal consultation, if required.

What we will consult on

The main aim of our public consultations on the proposed upgrade is to make sure that the local community and other stakeholders have the opportunity to understand and influence our proposals. During each phase of public consultation we will ask for feedback on: Phase 1 The need for the proposed upgrade Phase 2 Further details of development proposals for the preferred site, including the construction programme, taking into account consultation responses and further design development Draft proposals for avoiding and mitigating any potential environmental impacts of the upgrade Draft proposals for avoiding and mitigating any potential negative community effects of the upgrade Proposals for how the preferred site will look during and after construction work has finished

We are proposing a major upgrade to Deephams Sewage Works in north east London to significantly improve the treated wastewater that flows into the Salmons Brook, a tributary of the River Lee.
The Environment Agency has set us a new quality standard for treated wastewater, which means that we need to develop an improved sewage treatment process for the Deephams Sewage Works. As well as treating sewage to a higher standard, the proposed upgrade will be designed to allow the sewage works to cope with the additional sewage produced by a future increase in the number of local homes and businesses in the area already served by the works. The upgrade will also improve treatment facilities that are becoming old and worn out. It will also be designed to take account of climate change, so that it can cope with the effects of the heavier winter rainfall and warmer summer temperatures that are forecast in the future. We have considered a number of options to achieve these objectives, including improving or replacing the main parts of the sewage treatment process on the existing Deephams Sewage Works site or rebuilding them on a new site elsewhere. We have carefully assessed 22 potential sites within an area approximately 3km from the existing works, as well as assessing a number of possible different treatment technology options and the timescales for building the upgrade. The proposed upgrade will improve the quality of the water in the Salmons Brook and River Lee and will benefit the

plants and wildlife that live in these watercourses. Upgrading the sewage treatment process will also significantly reduce the levels of odour released from the Deephams Sewage Works. The proposed upgrade is likely to require a major construction project, and depending on the site and treatment technologies eventually selected, could to take up to seven years to build. We are holding a first phase of public consultation from July to October 2012 to find out what you think about our preferred site and the range of treatment technologies we are considering for the upgrade, as well as our outline proposals for construction work on the preferred site and the other shortlisted (but not preferred) sites. There will be a second phase of consultation on more detailed proposals for the upgrade on the preferred site in 2013. Following these two phases of public consultation, we plan to submit an application for permission to build the upgrade in 2014 and, if successful, we plan to start the main construction work in 2015. No decisions have been made and this is the first of two phases of consultation where you can have your say before we submit an application for permission to build the upgrade. Your feedback will help us find out about any local issues that we need to be aware of and allow us to amend our plans for how we will design and build the upgrade, where we can. This Statement of Community Consultation forms part of a wider Consultation Strategy for the Deephams Sewage Works Upgrade, which sets out our approach to consulting all those with an interest in the upgrade, including key stakeholders and statutory consultees.

The findings of our work so far in considering potential sites and treatment technologies The preferred site and the reasons for this selection, as well as the reasons why sites not preferred have been rejected How we propose to build the upgrade on the preferred site and the other shortlisted sites, if they were to become preferred The statutory and other consents each option is likely to require The way we have carried out the consultation including the information provided, exhibitions, website and feedback forms

How we will consult

How we will consult Consultation website Community briefings Detail of the approach Our Deephams Sewage Works Upgrade consultation website will provide information about the project and be a dedicated point for comments and feedback. To build early understanding, we will offer community and other stakeholder representatives a briefing on the project at the start of the phase 1 consultation. This will form part of our ongoing community engagement programme. We will also aim to provide briefings to any community groups that request meetings. Paper copies of all consultation documents and feedback forms will be available at public exhibitions, community briefings, local libraries and town halls and on request. The information will also be available on the consultation website. We will hold public exhibitions and advertise them locally in advance Details are published with this statement. The project team will be available to answer questions and help people to complete feedback forms, where this is helpful. that we will submit in support of our application for permission to build the upgrade. We will also record and respond to feedback received outside of the two phases of formal consultation and as part of our ongoing engagement with the local community, stakeholders, business and community representatives, local authorities and other individuals and organisations potentially affected by the upgrade. We will use this feedback to improve our approach to consultation and engagement with these groups and amend our Consultation Strategy document as and when required. We will aim to answer any questions raised during the consultations as we go along, to help people respond to the consultation.

Provision of written information Programme of public exhibitions

We will include an Environmental Statement with our application for permission to build the upgrade, having completed an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of our development proposals. The EIA will investigate the positive and negative environmental effects of the project and will help us to make sure that the upgrade is as sustainable as practically possible at a reasonable cost to our customers. The EIA will also allow us to work out where and when we need to do things differently to reduce any negative effects, as far as is practical, and if we need to balance the impact of any unavoidable negative effects by improving the environment elsewhere.

Future consultation
If after the phase 1 consultation the preferred option is not a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project, we will amend our strategy for future stages of consultation and will again consult with the relevant local authorities on a revised Statement of Community Consultation and Consultation Strategy.

Who we will consult during the public consultation:

During both phases of public consultation we will consult the following groups: The general public Community consultees, community leaders and local groups Local and regional authorities Utilities Regulators and other Government bodies Pan-north London and pan-London strategic stakeholders Property owners/occupiers and land owners Local businesses Environmental groups Voluntary organisations and faith communities Schools and colleges Local hospitals, care homes and private healthcare organisations Disability networks We will also send letters to those living within 250m from the boundary of each shortlisted site and within 1km from the boundary of the preferred site, letting them know how to take part in the consultation.

Further information and contact details

We will post regular project updates and latest news articles on our Deephams Sewage Works Upgrade consultation website, along with an up-to-date Statement of Community Consultation, our Consultation Strategy and all relevant technical documents.

We want to hear your views

Visit: www.deephamsconsultation.co.uk Email: customer.feedback@thameswater.co.uk Tel: 0845 366 2957

Application for permission to build the upgrade

There are two possible routes we could take to apply for permission to build the upgrade, depending on where it will be built: Location The existing Deephams Sewage Works site A new site Planning route Application for planning permission Application for a Development Consent Order Application submitted to London Borough of Enfield

Public exhibitions
Date Monday 16 July 2012 Place Community House 311 Fore Street, Edmonton N9 0PZ Dugdale Centre, Enfield Town, 39 London Rd, Enfield EN2 6DS Edmonton Green Library, 36-44 South Mall, Edmonton N9 0TN Angel Community Centre, Raynham Road, Edmonton, London N18 2JF South Chingford Library, 265 Chingford, Mount Road, Chingford E4 8LP Times Midday to 8pm

Access for all

Our consultation information is available in large print, braille, or in an audio format on request. Our Customer Centre will also offer a telephone service translating consultation materials into different languages on request. We will make sure that the necessary assistance is provided for those with special needs.

Planning Inspectorate, which makes a recommendation to the Secretary of State

Tuesday 17 July 2012

Midday to 8pm

Wednesday 18 July 2012

Midday to 8pm

Feedback
We will review the comments and other representations received, as well as any new environmental and technical information that becomes available as the project progresses, and revise our plans to take account of this feedback, where we can. We will record and give feedback on all written comments we receive. All comments should be in writing to make sure that they are accurately recorded. We will produce feedback reports for the phase 1 and phase 2 consultations. These will record written comments received and explain how we have taken them into account in our application for permission to build the upgrade. They will be available on our Deephams Sewage Works Upgrade consultation website and on request. These reports will form the basis of our Report on Community Consultation

Due to the size of the population served by the Deephams Sewage Works being greater than 500,000 and the possibility that the upgrade could be built at a different site, the project is identified in the Governments National Policy Statement for Waste Water, adopted in March 2012, as a potential nationally significant infrastructure project (NSIP). Under the Planning Act 2008, an NSIP requires an application for a Development Consent Order to be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate, which will make a recommendation to the Secretary of State, who will make the final decision. The recommendation would previously have been made by the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC), but the Localism Act abolished the IPC in April 2012 and replaced it with the National Infrastructure Directorate within the Planning Inspectorate. However, the Development Consent Order application process remains largely the same. Because the proposed upgrade may be a potential NSIP, we have designed our consultation process to meet the legal and policy requirements of the Planning Act 2008 for NSIPs. This process would also meet the consultation requirements for an application under the Town and Country Planning Act for planning permission to the London Borough of Enfield.

Thursday 19 July 2012

Midday to 8pm

Friday 20 July 2012

Midday to 8pm